Roma Coach Rudi Garcia is looking forward to sharing his Champions League experience next season with Francesco Totti.
The Frenchman has guided the Giallorossi back into Europe’s premier club competition at his first time of asking and paid tribute to the attitude of his ageing star.
Roma Coach Rudi Garcia is looking forward to sharing his Champions League experience next season with Francesco Totti.
The Frenchman has guided the Giallorossi back into Europe’s premier club competition at his first time of asking and paid tribute to the attitude of his ageing star.
“It will please me to Coach Totti in the Champions League,” Garcia said to L’Equipe. “A player of his talent needs that stage.
“But this coming season, when there are three matches a week, it’s a must that we protect him. He is intelligent, positive and only ever thinks of the team. He is very easy to manage.
“There had been a lot of things said to me about him before I arrived at the club, but I closed my ears to them so I could form my own opinion. Now I have made them.
“In France when a player is older than 30, he is classed as old and burnt out. Here that doesn’t exist, given that is hasn’t applied to players like Maldini, Totti and Zanetti.”
Garcia was then asked whether he missed his homeland.
“Not too much. I returned to Paris on occasion for the international matches late last year but since then I haven’t gone back.
“I will go back next month, I will go back to Lille. I’ve already had offers to work as a television pundit during the World Cup, but it doesn’t interest me!”